Oklahoma "EITA" Electronic and Information Technology Accessibility Law
Oklahoma's 508 Law
in 2004, the Oklahoma Legislature passed Oklahoma law modeling Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act. Governor Brad Henry signed HB 2197 into law in April 2004 thus improving the accessibility of electronic and information technology (EIT). The law pertains to state agencies, post-secondary institutions, and the CareerTech system.
Oklahoma Statute: Title 62, Section 41.5t
FOUR COMPONENTS TO OKLAHOMA'S EITA LAW
1. Information Technology Accessibility Standards Effective September 8, 2005
Oklahoma Administrative Code - Information Technology Accessibility Rules
2. Department of Central Services rule
3. Office of State Finance rule
4. EITA Accessibility Clause to be used with Electronic and Information Technology (EIT) purchases, to inform vendors of Oklahoma's requirement for compliance to IT accessibility standards. The clause can be found on the DCS website at EITA Procurement Clause March 2009
Training and Technical Assistance
Department of Central Services EITA Procurement Forms
Forms 053, 055, 056, 057 are found on the DCS web site at http://www.dcs.state.ok.us/DCS_forms.nsf/Web_View2?OpenPage&Start=1&Count=1000&Expand=2
Form 053: VPATs (Voluntary Product Accessibility Templates) - The VPAT assists agencies in evaluating the accessibility of electronic information technology to ensure compliance with IT Standards. Form 053 provides instructions and information related to the VPAT. Individual forms are provided for each technical category in the OK IT Standards identified by the standard section number. The VPAT is used in conjunction with the Procurement Clause. The vendor is then providing documentation and explanation of compliance or non compliance to applicable IT Standards. A vendor can either provide a completed VPAT or a comparable document.
STATEWIDE CONTRACT VPATs: The Department of Central Services provides links to the manufacturers of statewide contract products http://www.ok.gov/DCS/Central_Purchasing/StateWide_Contracts/Manufacturer_VPAT_Website.html
How do I make a 508 determination? - This resource can help you decide which sections of a VPAT should always be reviewed for a complete response from a vendor.
Form 055, the Procurement Checklist, is a key document and tool to assist agencies with IT procurement and documentation related to accessibility requirements of the Oklahoma IT Standards and applicable administrative rules. Similar to Federal law, Section 508, Oklahoma's IT accessibility law lists allowable exceptions and other circumstances where agencies may purchase a product that meets some but not all IT accessibility standards. This form provides lists the exceptions and provides the space to indicate that adequate market analysis was performed prior to purchase. DCS advises completion of the procurement checklist which should be maintained in the product file.
Form 056 EITA undue burden documentation - Undue burden is defined in the law as a significant difficulty or expense. Undue burden is rarely claimed since the law is written to allow the purchase of products that meet some but not all IT accessibility standards.
Form 057 Accessible Electronic Information Technology Application Information System Procurement Checklist. This is similar to Form 055 but is an additional form to be used with the purchase and/or development of web sites and software. If developed internally, both Form 055 and Form 057 should be completed by the agency and kept in a file.
